2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Chris Dodd And Paul Simon Mason City Iowa Photos

Richard Gephardt Endorses Hillary Clinton

Fmr. Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt Endorses Clinton
Gephardt Will Serve as Economic Adviser and Campaign Co-Chair

The Clinton Campaign today announced the endorsement of former House of Representatives Majority Leader Richard Gephardt. He will serve as an Economic Adviser and Co-Chair of Hillary’s campaign.

“Hillary Clinton is the champion working families deserve in the White House,” Gephardt said. “Her commitment to health care for all Americans and her vision for this country make her uniquely qualified to be President. She’s got the strength and experience to deliver the kind of change America wants.”

“Dick Gephardt has devoted his life to public service, and will be an invaluable adviser and friend in this campaign,” Clinton said. “I’m honored that he will join me in our efforts to expand economic opportunity for all Americans.”

“Throughout his entire career, Congressman Gephardt has consistently stood with workers, and his endorsement of Sen. Hillary Clinton sends a powerful message,” said International President Michael Goodwin of the Office and Professional Employees International Union.  “Congressman Gephardt's role within Senator Clinton’s campaign combined with her strong record on behalf of working families in New York and throughout the nation ensures that the issues workers care deeply about will be central to her campaign.”

Gephardt was the leader of the House Democrats for nearly 14 years, serving as House majority leader from 1989 to 1995 and minority leader from 1995 to 2003. He became a national leader on health care, trade and tax fairness during his 28 years in Congress representing St. Louis.

As a Presidential candidate in 1988 and 2004, Gephardt elevated the economic concerns of working families, focusing on universal health care, retirement security, fair trade policies, shrinking school class sizes and promoting energy independence.

Gephardt is currently President and CEO of the Gephardt Group, and serves as advisory board chairman of the Richard A. Gephardt Institute for Public Service at Washington University in St. Louis.

Mitt Romney Clear Lake Iowa Photos

Hillary Clinton Clear Lake Iowa Photos

What They Are Saying … About Mayor Giuliani’s Second Quarter Fundraising

What They Are Saying … About Mayor Giuliani’s Second Quarter Fundraising

Fox News’ Shepard Smith Said Giuliani’s Fundraising “Far Outpaces” GOP Field. Fox News’ Shepard Smith: “We’ve often said that the amount of money you raise can be a good indicator of how things are going. Rudy Giuliani’s campaign just announced that he’s raised more than $17 million in the second quarter for both the primary and general elections, ended the quarter with no debt and $18 million cash on hand. That far outpaces the rest of the Republican candidates.” (Fox News’ “Studio B,” 7/3/07)

CNN’s Bill Schneider: “Now Giuliani is the only one of the top three Republicans whose total went up in the second quarter. He now leads the Republican field in fund-raising …” (CNN’s “The Situation Room,” 7/3/07)

American Spectator’s Philip Klein: “[L]ooks like a solid quarter for Rudy relative to his GOP rivals …” (Philip Klein, American Spectator Blog, “Rudy Raises $15 Mln (Primary), $17 Mln (Total),” www.spectator.org, Accessed: 7/3/07)

Klein: “So, by any monetary measure, Giuliani is now ahead of Romney.” (Philip Klein, American Spectator Blog, “Rudy Raises $15 Mln (Primary), $17 Mln (Total),” www.spectator.org, Accessed: 7/3/07)

Los Angeles Times’ Andrew Malcolm: “Rudy Giuliani's campaign reported … a whopping $18 million-plus in cash on hand now with zero debt.” (Andrew Malcolm, “Go Get $6.5 Million From The ATM, Will You Please?,” Los Angeles Times’ Blog, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/07/go-get-65-milli.html, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

Newsday’s Tom Brune: “[Giuliani] has put more money in the bank than he has spent so far on his campaign this year.” (Tom Brune, “Rudy Takes Lead In GOP Fundraising,” Newsday, 7/3/07)

National Review’s Yuval Levin: “[T]he GOP funding figures paint a picture of a strong Giuliani campaign …” (Yuval Levin, “GOP Money,” National Review’s “The Corner” Blog, http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZTJmZDgzZTMwOTI5YmU5NTVlNWE2OTE4MjcyZGM3MmY, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

CBN’s David Brody: Giuliani “Continues To Defy The Odds.” “[A]t the end of the day, the story here is Giuliani. He continues to defy the odds. People want to write him off because as a Republican, his views are too liberal. Well, he's been pretty clear and public with his views and so far, financially at least, he's not taking a hit. … [C]learly, there seems to be an appetite for Giuliani out there.” (David Brody, CBN News’ “The Brody File” Blog, http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/189113.aspx, 7/3/07)

Brody: Giuliani “Plays Well In Certain Evangelical Circles.” “His strength is in the ideological middle and his tough talk on terrorism and reputation as a crime fighting straight talking guy who gets things done plays well in certain Evangelical circles. Not to mention, these Evangelicals think he is the only Republican that can beat Hillary Clinton in the General Election.” (David Brody, CBN News’ “The Brody File” Blog, http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/189113.aspx, 7/3/07)

Brody: ““It's a long road to The White House but Giuliani is beginning to prove he has staying power.” (David Brody, CBN News’ “The Brody File” Blog, http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/189113.aspx, 7/3/07)

Bloomberg’s Kristen Johnson: “[R]udy Giuliani beat rivals by raising more than $17 million in the second quarter for his campaign, outpacing his take in the first three months.” (Kristen Johnson, “Giuliani Beats Rivals, Raises More Than $17 Million in Quarter,” http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a4KZUgLO_kMo&refer=us, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

New York Sun’s Ryan Sager: “The numbers are in, and Rudy Giuliani has taken the lead in the money race for 2008 …” (Ryan Sager, “Cash Chase: Rudy Takes The Lead,” New York Sun’s “Latest Politics” Blog, http://www.latestpolitics.com/blog/2007/07/cash-chase-rudy-takes-the-lead.html, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

The Associated Press’ Jim Kuhnhenn: “[G]iuliani saw an increase in his fundraising over the first quarter …” (Jim Kuhnhenn, “Giuliani Raises $15 Million, Romney Collects $14 Million In Second Quarter,” The Associated Press, 7/3/07)

New York Observer’s Andrew Rice: “[I]t looks like Rudy Giuliani's going to be the second-quarter fundraising champ on the Republican side. This should cement his position as the frontrunner …” (Andrew Rice, “Rudy’s Out Front,” New York Observer’s “The Politicker” Blog, http://www.observer.com/2007/rudys-out-front, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

CBS News’ David Miller: “[Giuliani] … the only one of the top three declared GOP candidates to see his receipts rise from one quarter to the next.” (David Miller, “Pure Horserace: Giuliani Leads The Way,” CBSnews.com, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/03/politics/purehorserace/main3012959, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder: “Only Rudy sustained his fundraising pace.” (Marc Ambinder, “Rudy’s 2nd Quarter: $15M+ For The Primary,” The Atlantic’s Blog, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/07/rudys_2nd_quarter_15m_for_the.php, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

The Wall Street Journal’s Amy Schatz: “The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee … has outraised every other Republican campaign and has over $18 million cash on hand.” (Amy Schatz, “McCain’s Competitors Report Money Results,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Washington Wire” Blog, http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/07/03/mccain%e2%80%99s-competitors-report-money-results/, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

The Wall Street Journal’s Amy Schatz: “Not to be outdone, the Giuliani camp reported it received donations ‘from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.’” (Amy Schatz, “McCain’s Competitors Report Money Results,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Washington Wire” Blog, http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/07/03/mccain%e2%80%99s-competitors-report-money-results/, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

NY1’s Lewis Dodley: “Rudy Giuliani is tops among the GOP presidential candidates when it comes to raising cash.” (NY1, 7/3/07)

The Politico’s Jonathan Martin: Giuliani’s “thrifty ways left him with $18 million in the bank.” (Jonathan Martin, “GOP Quickie Cash Wrap,” The Politico’s Blog, http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0707/GOP_quickie_cash_wrap.html, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

Martin: Giuliani’s “cash on hand … makes him the ostensible Republican money leader.” (Jonathan Martin, “GOP Quickie Cash Wrap,” The Politico’s Blog, http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0707/GOP_quickie_cash_wrap.html, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

RealClearPolitics Blog’s Tom Bevan: “Giuliani has $18 million cash on hand, which is $6 million more than Mitt Romney and $16 million more than John McCain.” (Tom Bevan, “Rudy Reports Q2 Numbers,” Real Clear Politics Blog, http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2007/07/rudys_reports_q2_numbers.html?xid=rss-rcp, 7/3/07, Accessed 7/3/07)

Tommy Thompson Sees Strong Growth In Q2 Fundraising

Thompson Sees Strong Growth in Q2 Fundraising

( Des Moines, IA) – The Tommy Thompson campaign announced that its second quarter fundraising effort showed strong growth over its first quarter fundraising. The Thompson campaign raised $473,126 in Q2 after raising $328,000 in Q1.

“We are certainly pleased at the strong growth in our fundraising. We've kept our overhead low and maintained a disciplined budget. To date, we're able to run a campaign equal to that of the better funded candidates despite the differences in funding,” said Thompson.

The Thompson campaign has successfully executed a strong Iowa-New Hampshire campaign over the last six months. The Thompson campaign has launched a statewide media campaign in Iowa and will begin a statewide RV tour on July 6th covering 100 plus communities.

Steve Grubbs, Senior Advisor to the Thompson campaign said, “We saw a strong growth in fundraising. Granted, we're not swimming in Barack Obama money, but we have what we need to execute our strategy. We asked our supporters to give us a chance to run the type of campaign we need and they came through for us.”

Biden Receives The Endorsement Of Three Iowa State Representatives

BIDEN RECEIVES THE ENDORSEMENTS OF THREE IOWA STATE REPRESENTATIVES

Des Moines, Iowa – The Biden for President Campaign today announced the endorsements of three prominent Iowa State Representatives. House Assistant Majority Leaders Rep. Lisa Heddens (Ames) and Rep. Mike Reasoner (Creston) along with Rep. Dick Taylor (Cedar Rapids) all endorsed Joe Biden for President at an afternoon press conference in Des Moines.

“I have long admired Joe Biden for his passionate support of women’s issues from Title IX to the landmark Violence Against Women Act which he wrote in 1994,” said Rep. Heddens. “I am supporting Joe Biden for President because America does not have time to engage in on-the-job training. I am convinced his plan for Iraq is the best way forward.”

“Joe Biden is the right person at the right time,” said Rep. Reasoner.  “His foreign policy experience, vision, and intellect are qualities the next President of the United States must possess in order to promote the United States’ interests an increasingly complex world. Joe's love of this country, his devotion to his family, and his ability to relate to the concerns of average Americans, shows a leader who cares about people and who has worked tirelessly to improve their lives.  Joe will make a great President.” 

“Joe is a true patriot,” said Rep. Taylor. “As a veteran I think his plan for Iraq is the best way to support our troops because it lays the foundation for a political solution. Another reason I’m supporting Joe is because he is second-to-none when it comes to supporting our union movement in this country.”

The "Mitt Mobile" To Make Debut At The Fourth Of July Parade In Clear Lake

"MITT MOBILE" OFFICIAL IOWA LAUNCH

Boston, MA – On Wednesday, July 4, Governor Mitt Romney and his wife Ann, will join their son Josh for the official launch of the "Mitt Mobile."  Josh Romney will drive the "Mitt Mobile," an RV wrapped with the campaign logo and scenes of Iowa, during his visit to all 99 counties in Iowa.  Pictures of the design can be seen by clicking here.

The "Mitt Mobile" will make its debut at the Fourth of July parade in Clear Lake, IA.  Josh Romney has already visited 41 counties and will visit 9 more during his current trip in Iowa ending July 4th.

Dodd Campaign Launches D-TV

DODD CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES D-TV
LiveStreaming Video to Provide Unprecedented Window into Campaign

WASHINGTON - Today the Chris Dodd for President Campaign unveiled D-TV, a multi-channel window into the campaign. Building on the success of last month's New Hampshire Debate coverage, D-TV will promote further interaction between supporters and Dodd staff through streaming video of the campaign headquarters, interactive opportunities with the campaign and videos of Senator Dodd.

"With D-TV we are able to use groundbreaking technology to interact with supporters not just in the primary states, but also in voter's homes," said internet strategist Tim Tagaris. "D-TV will give viewers a chance to see what exactly happens in the day to day operations of our staff and provide them with an unprecedented ability to engage in interactive discussions with our campaign."

Dodd continues to lead the Presidential candidates in discovering new, innovative ways to interact with voters, both on the ground and online. The campaign has been praised for its Talk Clock which monitored the amount of time each candidate received in the recent CNN debates in New Hampshire. Jeff Jarvis of the Washington Post's Channel 08 claims Dodd "has been more open and expansive with his Internet video strategy than most of the candidates."

Most recently, Dodd's YouTube Spotlight video has garnered attention for fully involving viewers in the political process, by calling their Senators and Congressmen and asking them to support the Dodd Amendment to end the war in Iraq. One prominent blogger at Daily Kos praised the approach, arguing that Dodd is "basing his campaign pitch on his own action (the amendment) and on inviting interaction, all aimed at getting the US out of Iraq. That's leadership."
You can watch D-TV at: www.chrisdodd.com/dtv. A summary of D-TV channels is below.

Channel 1: Best of Senator Dodd: Campaign speeches and more
Channel 2: Live! Headquarters camera
Channel 3: Trail Tales: Best of the best from the road
Channel 4: Get Involved: How you can help the Dodd Squad today

Giuliani Campaign Announces Second Quarter Fundraising Numbers

Giuliani Campaign Announces Second Quarter Fundraising Numbers
Reports $18 Million Cash On Hand for Primary and General Election

NEW YORK CITY - The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee reported today it has outraised every other Republican campaign and has over $18 million cash on hand.  The campaign raised over $17 million in the second quarter, for both the primary and general election, and ended the quarter with zero debt. 

The second quarter fundraising totals highlighted the Giuliani campaign’s growing momentum and commitment to discipline and efficiency with campaign dollars. 

The campaign both outraised first quarter totals by more than $2 million and doubled the number of individual donors.  Contributions have been received from all fifty states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. 

“We are thrilled by our fundraising this quarter and are running a strong and efficient campaign.  We are well positioned to win both the primary and the general elections,” said Giuliani Campaign Manager Michael DuHaime, “and we are serious about being good stewards with the money that has been entrusted to us.” 

Deputy Campaign Manager Anne Dunsmore added, “Since joining Team Rudy, I have been increasingly encouraged by the response to Rudy’s message across the country.  That strong support translates into an increase in the number of events, donors and dollars which will allow us not only to compete and win the primary, but to win the general election.”